Gymnázium Olomouc-Hejčín: Goodbye, Brock. We had a good time.

In the beginning of the school year 2011/12 we could welcome Brock Dishop as a new Maths teacher at the Hejčín Grammar School in Olomouc. He was an exchange teacher from the USA and was supposed to stay at our school for a school year. That year has passed and there is time to come home, at least for Brock. Via this interview, we would like to find out more information about Brock's return back to the US and also what is his overall impression of our school.

Is the relationship between the students and the teachers at Hejčín different from what is common in the US?
I don’t think so. There are some teachers that are a little more informal and those who are very strict back home. I’ve seen both here. Maybe there are some more student behavioral problems in the US.

About your return home... Did you like it here? Will you miss the Czech Republic?
I had here a very good time and made a lot of new friends among the teachers. And although not every student is perfect even here, I have seen something much different than what I have done before. I will miss the Czech Republic and all my new friends.

What have you learned in the Czech Republic?
Something I really liked is teaching some content that is not taught very much in the US. In terms of culture, the Czechs have different attitudes towards food, beer and drinks. You are much more passionate about your beer than the Americans. We have food like you have, but a wider range and more influenced by the Italian, the Irish cuisine etc.

I remember seeing you in the dancing lessons...
Oh yes, the dancing lessons! I had fun taking some dancing lessons on my own. That was so fun watching all the students dancing at the ball... I wish they made students dance back in the US, because I think it is one of the coolest things you guys do.

You do not have balls back in the US?
Not like you have. It is more like a disco. We wear tuxedo and ball dresses, but we do not have formal kind of dances like waltz and chacha.

Have you had any language problems?
I tried to attend a class, but there were not enough people to make a class of the Czech language. Now I can point and mimic, say some basic phrases like Pomoc! or Řekni česky... Two or three times I had to call my friends such as Franta Brauner or Magda Králová and ask them for help.

Anyway, did you like the Petáková book of calculations? Some students at Hejčín want to burn it... But maybe it is really ingenious and we do not see it.
I used it a lot. There is a very good group of problems in there. I would not use it exclusively by my choice at least. But it is pretty good book overall. I’m sure you wouldn’t like my books either. They are thick and have complex problems as well.

How did you spend your free time?
I did dancing lessons for a while and played volleyball on Friday nights. I travelled quite a lot, much more than I do back in the US. Some people who are in the same program as I am invited me for a visit. I also went to pubs to meet some friends. There are a lot of good pubs, I usually ended up in the Crack or Moritz.

Are you looking forward to going home?
Yes. I’m anxious to see my family and all my friends.

Can you imagine coming back for a visit?
If I have time. My breaks in the US are quite short, and also I coach basketball when I have free time. Next summer I might come back.

Did you enjoy the meeting with Norman Eisen?
In my opinion, he has a lot of good things to say. He is not afraid of controversial questions when asked, and is able to handle them. I didn’t know him by name before he came here, but I know him from the television. He is in front of cameras a lot.

What is your opinion of the president Barack Obama? When he was elected, he was very popular but now his popularity is decreasing a lot... 
Honestly, he is doing a fine job. The US economy has gone up and down throughout history, that is a fact, and it is very hard to control such a situation. The struggling economy has been the biggest reason for his decrease in popularity and President Obama does not have as much control over the economy as many people perceive.

What is your message for the Hejčín students?
I thank you for taking me into your classes, let me teach you some new things and improve your English a bit. I hope you enjoyed your time with me as much as I did with you.